Queen Victoria opens the South Kensington Museum (later V&A)

Background. In 1857 the museum, which included scientific displays, moved to South Kensington, where it was renamed the South Kensington Museum at the suggestion of Prince Albert. The present V&A South Kensington site in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea covers 12.5 acres and holds over 145 galleries. The change of name from "South Kensington Museum" to "Victoria and Albert Museum" was made public during a later ceremony, distinct from the 1857 opening.

Official Opening. Queen Victoria officially opened the museum on 20 June 1857. The building, extended by the 'Brompton Boilers' in 1856, was built on the eastern side of Brompton Park House. The architect was Captain Francis Fowke, who later designed tapestry and picture galleries during 1858–1859.

Collections. In 1857, John Sheepshanks donated 233 paintings, mainly by contemporary British artists, and a similar number of drawings to the museum, aiming to form a National Gallery of British Art. The collection included works by William Blake, Henry Fuseli, and Sir Edwin Landseer, among others. The museum also housed scientific displays; Italian and French Renaissance objects were acquired later, between 1859 and 1865, after the event's 1857 scope.